Lift plug valve



F HINRICHS LIFT PLUG VALVE Filed Fb. 7, 1951 ".T: n n

Oct 28, 1952 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 i UNITED STATES PATENTWorriedz LIFT PLUG VALVE` Ferdinand. Hinrichs. Kenosha, Wis., assigner to Tri-Clover. Machine Co., Kenosha; Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February. 7, 1951, Seriall No. 209,747;

This; invention. relates `to improvements; in lift plug'.n valves-V l Plug valves of a type whichI employ.` atapered valvemember rotatable in a taperedbore have manyfeatureawhich make-them particularly de sizable for use; in controlling the flow offfludih pasteurizingequipment vorother apparatus Where` a.,h igh degree of; sanitation is required f Anch jectionable feature of-y thistype of; valve.y hoi/Verfein-l is;l the; factthat the plug member when seated in theboreisghard to rotate unless-itis irst lifted slightly; from. its. seat;

` Various `devices-- vhave been heretofore proposed forfqdislodeine the. plueafrom its; seat prior to rotation. The; prior `de vioeshave not been'satisr-4 factor-y foren-.umher ofy reasons.. Certain of theA 3 Claims, (Cl. 25,1?970( prorzfdeviceshave. embodied cam. Sufaoesrwhioh Varediflio.ult andexpensve toform` Othersfhave; 'embodied too manyV parte to.. be. practical, .or

have.v embodied; interiorv threading.; shouldera-.orf recesses: which. are objectionable because. rtheyv` provide places.: inwhich food particles .can, collect and. from which the removal; of', said-1 particles isf diiiicult. Another objectionrto the prior valves is thatxsquirtingi of fluidy from around.: thed-islodeed Thissquirtina oi duid isobviouslyvhehly objec-r tionablefroma sanitaryistandpoint: It hosrbeen found.thatplugshaving a standard .taper c an rbe freely rotated without; any squirtligiof` duid (such s1iloetantiaily:mfrregthanv .0.03 inch..

Withy the; above in, mind,l it; isl a pgeneral object; of the. present invention .to provide an improved liftpiug valvewhich issooonstructed: that/upon;

movement. ofthe valve handle thezvalve plus will.. rstrbelirted sufficiently-to dislodeeithe Sarria.;they

amount of lift, however, beingyyinsunicientl to cause', squirting of; fluid.,

A further object of the invention is tov provide.:

van improved liitplug. Valve of the. class described.-

lwherein the lifting: ofy the valveplug is accom?. plished by cam surfaces which are inexpensively.`

formed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lift plug valve of the class described wherein-.the plug lifting camV surfaces are. circu-A lar in conformation and therefore require a min-i.- mum amountof movement ofthe valve handle in order to produce the desired lifting of the plug,` :.saidcircular c am surfaces at` the same time having-'a limited plug'flifting range to eliminate the possibility of fluid squirting.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lift plug valve of the class described which, `due to theY elimination of fluid squirting;` i'.

does not require a coverv and'y which `therefore is.y v provided with ya bearing plateeforfcarrying A the.,Vv ca-m surfaces and handle, said bearing. plate 4`have:A ing only limited frictional contact With.the.valv"=- body.

A- further object ofthe inventionv is to'provide` an improved lift plugvalvey of the classk described:l

which is formed of a relativelyfsmall number: of' parts-all of which can be easily and'qu-ickly disassembled and cleaned; `to providea valve which. is strong and durable; and to provide ya, val-ve. which isotherw-ise well adapted for the purposes.

described.

With the above and other objects in vievv, the;

invention consistsof the improved liftlplugvalve,

and all of its parts and combinations, as sets-forth# in the claims, and. all equivalents thereof. In the drawing accompanying and forming-a. part of this specification, wherein is shown-one.`

' complete embodiment `of the preferred'formofj v the4 invention, and Whereinlike characters of'reff` erence indicate. the Same parts. in vall ofthe` views:

Fig. 1 isa sideelevationalview oftheimproved broken away( andi shownin seca..

valve, part being tion; l

Fig. 2 isl a fragmentary vertical sectional-view. taken approximately along the line-.2-2 offFig. 1.1;. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary. plan View.v ofv thev iin--A proved valve; and- .Y I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sidelelevational'view.y ofthe improved valve showing. the parts. inaDlugj' lifting position. ,Y

Referring more particularly tothe drawing. the

numeral Ill indicates a valve. bodyL having; op,.

posed inletv and outlet connections I-.I..and .Il and having: a tapered bore. I3 inwhich is I'iQStOnedI a;

. allyT-.shaped bearing plate. 20 having armpor-f.v

tions. 2|, 22 and-23 Which overlapthe 4margins of the boreY I3 and which are slidable on the upperr end ofthe valve body. The bearing" plate20 formed with a central aperture 24l througlrvvh-ch' the stem I8 rotatably and axially slidablypro';

3 jects. Formed on and projecting laterally from the arm 22 of the bearing plate 20 is a handle 25.

Formed on the bearing plate adjacent diametrically opposite side portions of the stem I8 is a pair of upstanding bosses 26 and 21. The' bosses 26 and 21 are formed respectively with circular apertures 28 and 29 having a common axis which preferably extends diametrically of the stem I8. A cylindrical pin 30 having an outside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the stem bore I 9 and having an enlarged head 3|, is carried in the stem bore and projects through the circular apertures 28 and 29 as shown in Fig. 2. The pin 30 may be provided with a conventional means such as the ball 32 for holding said pin in the position shown.

The relative positions of the apertures 28 and 29 and the stem bore I9 are such that when the plug I4 is seated in the bore I3, the pin 30 rests on the lowermost wall portions of the apertures 2l and 29, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The ratio of the diameter of the apertures 28 and 29 to the diameter of the pin 30 may vary in accordance with design requirements. Most satisfactory results have been obtained when the ratio of the diameter of the pin to the diameter of the boss apertures is on the order of 3 to 5.

In operation, movement of the handle in either direction causes initial rotation of the bearing plate 20 about and relative to the stem I8. This relative movement causes the pin to be lifted by the cam surfaces which are provided by the apertures 28 and 29, and the plug I4 is, of course, lifted simultaneously with the pin. Fig. 4 shows the parts in plug lifting position, and a comparison of the space (a) of Fig. 1 and (b) of Fig. 4 indicates the extent to which the plug I4 is lifted in Fig. 4. 'I'he use of the circular cam surfaces formed by the apertures 28 and 29 and the preferred relationship between the diameters of said apertures and that of the pin I9 is such as to cause lifting of the valve plug I4 not substantially more than .003 of an inch. Other relationships may, however, be employed to suit particular conditions. Further movement of the handle 25 causes rotation of the lifted plug without additional lifting. When a plug of the type shown in the drawing has been lifted .003 inch it is freely rotatable, and there is no squirting of fluid from around said plug as said plug is rotated. The lifting of the plug begins immediately upon movement of the handle 25 in either direction, thereby providing quick operation of the valve.

The improved T-shaped bearing plate causes substantially less friction than conventional rotatable cover plates which are in frictional engagement with the valve body around the entire periphery thereof. The cam surfaces formed by the apertures 28 and 29 not only provide a unique limited lifting effect, but in addition the construction is advantageous because the apertures are inexpensively formed by use of conventional production drilling equipment, there being no special machinery required therefor. The improved valve is especially well adapted for use in sanitary equipment, not only because of the small number of parts to be disassembled and cleaned,

but also because of the fact that squirting of fluid from around the valve plug is eliminated.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a lift plug valve: a valve body formed with a tapered bore; a tapered plug cooperable with said tapered bore; a stem projecting axially from the large end of said plug; a bearing plate rotatably positioned on the valve body over the large end of the tapered bore; a handle for said bearing plate, said plate being formed with a. central aperture through which the plug stem rotatably projects; a pair of upstanding bosses formed on said bearing plate on opposite sides of said plug stem, said bosses being formed with coaxial circular bores extending transversely therethrough; and a transverse pin carried by said stem and projecting substantially diametrically thereof into the circular bores of said bosses, the ends of said pin being circular in cross-section and having a diameter larger than the radius of said bores and substantially smaller than the diameter of said bores, whereby said circular bores present a cam surface of increasing slope to the pin ends.

2. In a lift plug valve: a valve body formed with a tapered bore; a tapered plug cooperable with said tapered bore; a stem projecting axially from the large end of said plug; a bearing plate rotatably positioned on the valve body over the large end of the tapered bore; a handle for said bearing plate, said plate being formed with a central aperture through which the plug stem rotatably projects; a pair of upstanding bosses formed on said bearing plate on opposite sides of said plug stem, said bosses being formed vwith coaxial circular bores extending transversely therethrough, and a transverse cylindrical pin carried by said stem and projecting substantially diametrically thereof into the bores of said bosses, the ratio of the diameter of said pin to the diameter of said bores being approximately three to five, whereby said circular bores present a cam surface of increasing slope to the pin ends.

3. In a lift plug valve: a valve body formed with a tapered bore; a tapered plug cooperable with said tapered bore; a stem projecting axially from the large end of said plug; a bearing plate rotatably positioned on the valve body over the large end of the tapered bore; a handle for said bearing plate, said plate being formed with a central aperture through which the plug stem rotatably projects; a pair of upstanding bosses formed on said bearing plate on opposite sides of said plug stem, said bosses having coaxial circular bores extending transversely therethrough; and a transverse pin carried by said stem and projecting substantially diametrically thereof into the circular bores of said bosses, the ends of said pin being circular in crosssection and having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of said bores, whereby said circular bores present a cam surface of increasing slope to the pin ends.

FERDINAND HINRICHS.

REFERENCES CITED 'I'he following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,153,707 Russell Sept. 14, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 80,121 Switzerland of 1918 

